This publication contains summary information relating to cause of death for those deaths certified by doctors. It should be noted that these data represent only a subset of all causes of death, and that the numbers presented here are not comprehensive. Doctor certified deaths accounted for 88.3% of all deaths registered in 2012. The remainder are reported to, and certified by a coroner.

Although what constitutes a reportable death varies across jurisdictions, they are generally reported in circumstances such as:

where the person died unexpectedly and the cause of death is unknown;

where the person died in a violent or unnatural manner;

where the person died during, or as a result of, an anaesthetic;

where the person was 'held in care' or in custody immediately before they died; and